Audie Blaylock and Redline: Audie Blaylock and Redline

Stellar album of hard-charging bluegrass

Not being a bluegrass aficionado, I always find myself cataloging the quintessential elements in my head: banjo, check; fiddle, check; mandolin, acoustic bass, and guitar, check, check and check; high-tight harmonies, ballads and hot-picking, check, check and check. And it’s right about that last check that I start to get the feel of a bluegrass record, sinking into its joys and loneliness, sensing the country roots beneath the Kabuki-like constrictions laid down by the genre’s founders. The checklist comes to life with harmonies squeezing out tears and musicianship advancing from a display of expertise to an emotional outpouring. And so it was with Blaylock’s second album as a group leader, his first release for Rural Rhythm.

Blaylock’s played with Jimmy Martin and Rhonda Vincent, is a four-time nominee for IBMA guitar player of the year award, and an IBMA instrumental group award winner with Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper. His band is a quartet of young hotshots who dazzle listeners with their instrumental prowess and surround Blaylock with old-soul harmony singing. Though the group can sing traditional high-low duets, it’s the four-part harmonies, such as the a cappella gospel “Who’ll Sing For Me?” that really show what they can do. Blaylock’s selected songs from country, gospel and bluegrass, emphasizing up-tempo fiddle and banjo tunes, but providing balance with ballads and mid-tempo waltzes. The band’s high-energy tunes are sure-fire festival favorites, but it’s the ballads you’ll savor.

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on Tuesday, January 27th, 2009 at 12:28 pm and is filed under CD Review.
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